Failure to eradicate polio exposes Pakistan's public health crisis

Peshawar [Pakistan], August 26 (ANI): While the rest of the world has successfully eradicated polio, Pakistan continues to struggle with the virus. Two additional cases of poliovirus have been confirmed in the southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising Pakistan's total number of cases this year to 23, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Tuesday, as reported by the Dawn.
Alongside Afghanistan, Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio is still endemic, reports Dawn. Despite decades of global progress, Pakistan's fight against the disease is hindered by persistent challenges, including security concerns, vaccine hesitancy, and the spread of misinformation.
The Dawn cited a statement from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad's National Institutes of Health (NIH), confirming that the latest cases include a 16-month-old girl from Union Council Mullazai in Tank district and a 24-month-old girl from Union Council Miran Shah-3 in North Waziristan district.
"Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all routine immunisations. Despite significant progress, the continued detection of polio cases, particularly in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remains a serious concern," the statement read.
It further highlighted that children living in hard-to-reach areas and those from communities with low acceptance of vaccines continue to be at particular risk.
Last week, Dawn reported that two new cases of polio had been found. One case was a six-year-old girl in Kohistan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the other was a 21-month-old girl in Badin district, Sindh.
Earlier this month, Dawn reported that poliovirus was detected in 36 per cent of sewage samples collected from 87 districts in July. In 2024, Pakistan has reported at least 71 cases, with the virus found in nearly 90 districts, including areas in Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB). (ANI)